Louisiana lawmaker scraps plan to make Bible the official state book

Louisiana lawmaker scraps plan to make Bible the official state book

A Shreveport lawmaker said Monday he's scrapping his proposal to name the Bible as Louisiana's official state book.

Republican Rep. Thomas Carmody told the House of Representatives that he wouldn't pursue the measure. He said lawmakers had told him they were worried the bill was becoming a distraction from more important debates, like on the state budget and education issues.

Carmody said he sponsored the proposal after a constituent made the request, and he told his colleagues that he notified the constituent about his plans to shelve the bill, which had been scheduled for floor debate Monday.

"I told him I was going to go ahead and return the bill to the calendar today and concentrate our efforts on those things that are much more important," Carmody said.

During committee debate earlier this month, Carmody insisted the bill wasn't designed to be a state-endorsement of Christianity or a specific religion.

But several lawmakers said it raised questions about whether Louisiana would be violating the separation of church and state, and they said it could land the Legislature in a costly lawsuit. Critics also said it could offend non-Christians who live in the state.

Rep. Ebony Woodruff, a Democrat and a lawyer by profession, was one of those planning to vote on the grounds it would not stand up in court, reports CBS affiliate WAFB in Baton Rouge reports.

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” He said lawmakers had told him they were worried the bill was becoming a distraction from more important debates, like on the state budget and education issues. “

Talk about an understatement!

More important debates?!? Debating about whether the bible should be your state book is not a less important debate it is a sign that a recall election should be in your future. Knowing this state though make that eventuality very unlikely.

I often sit back and wonder what the purpose for this kind of stuff is. Do these congressman or their constituents believe that this will allow them to worship better? I hear numerous Christians say that this is a Christian nation, and I say then why do you have insert yourselves everywhere in government? If it’s so obvious to you that it is a Christian nation then isn’t simply redundant to have the government make these declarations? Either way I am glad this didn’t even go up for debate because it would have been a complete waste of time.

@OP – During committee debate earlier this month, Carmody insisted the bill wasn’t designed to be a state-endorsement of Christianity or a specific religion.

Ah! The cognitive dissonance of the deluded!

Plans to make the Quoran the official state book, wouldn’t be “designed to be a state-endorsement of Islam or a specific religion”. Would it???? – . …. . or perhaps his delusion blinkers would see that insistence differently???

@OP – During committee debate earlier this month, Carmody insisted the bill wasn’t designed to be a state-endorsement of Christianity or a specific religion.

Ah! The cognitive dissonance of the deluded!

I’m having trouble putting this down as cog. dis. it feels more like gross ignorance.

Evolution may be hard to imagine or understand but church and state separation is not a tricky concept nor hard to remember. IMHO this is someone (constituent) who had been brought up without the knowledge of the importance of secularism in the founding of their country – deliberately.

The article stated that Catholic lawmakers objected —- why are there ‘catholic’ lawmakers ? are they making only catholic law ? if not then they should simply be lawmakers – hypocritical corruption of the term ‘separation of church and state’

The article stated that Catholic lawmakers objected —- why are there ‘catholic’ lawmakers ? are they making only catholic law ? if not then they should simply be lawmakers – hypocritical corruption of the term ‘separation of church and state’

Catholic law makers make canon law which the piddling state called the vatican consider to overule the laws of anywhere else even on their own soil.

the piddling state called the vatican consider to overule the laws of anywhere else

This state book issue is nothing to do with religion….Its only ‘their choice of book’ that keeps the religious involved at all….they should be prevented from suggesting or objecting to anything religious – that has nothing to do with state matters…..

Ban all religious medalling in law and state and education and hospitals and government and military…in fact everywhere…you can only have a valid opinion and point as a human – not as a religious creed….or anything else….as the article stated there are far more important and pressing issues affecting humans to consider the petty religious distractions as valid or legitimate grievances…

I know every state has an offical flag, flower, bird, gemstone and song, but the whole concept of an “official state book” is a new one on me. Can anybody here name the “official book” of any other state?

Why the fuck does any state in the USA need an official book? The lawmaker has the bare faced cheek to say be choosing the bible he was not favouring one religion over another, total fucking bollocks. If Louisiana wants an official book, how about the God Delusion.

He’s clearly nuts. If he had any clue at all he’d simply send copies of the infernal tome to every school in the state just like our Mr Gove did. Now there’s a real politician for you he doesn’t give a fart for the evidence he only has ideologies.

I propose that ‘On The Origin of Species’ should be made the official state book of Louisiana. Is anybody in favour? Could anybody from Louisiana contact their Rep. to request this? If successful, Americans would finally have something to be proud about.

Catholic lawmakers objected to the specific version of the Bible that Carmody sought to designate

yes christianity is such a can of worms isn’t it? it’s great when you need to claim to speak for a majority but as soon as you do anything specific, like try to endorse a book that would have been banned on pain of death by the catholic church at its publication date your majority suddenly looks very fragmented. in this case it lokos like he’s taken the route of “good samaritan” christian who doesn’t want to offend non-christians as a way of covering up the fact it’s christians who’d be the majority of the offended

Which version of the Bible did he have in mind? And on the form under “Author’s name”, what did he plan to write? Not meant to be an endorsement of Christianity?? Bull-freakin’-shite!!! A flagrent lie, and from a fine, upstanding Christian like himself.

Which version of the Bible did he have in mind? And on the form under “Author’s name”, what did he plan to write? Not meant to be an endorsement of Christianity?? Bull-freakin’-shite!!! A flagrent lie, and from a fine, upstanding Christian like himself.